Abstract: Esophageal cancer is ranked the eighth most common cancer worldwide, which severely threatens the health of human beings. Radical esophagectomy and regional lymphadenectomy through open approach offer the standard management for patients with locoregional disease, but it is associated with significant postoperative morbidity and mortality. It has been reported that minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is associated with a substantial decrease in blood loss, complication rate and duration of hospital stay, and the resection rate, lymph node dissection and postoperative mortality were comparable to those of traditional open surgery. In this article, current views related to indications and contraindications, surgical options, operative positions, prevention of postoperative complications, as well as learning curve of MIE were discussed so as to promote the popularization of MIE.